Starting Again
by aliealouise
Summary: Ari is finally back with the Doctor, but things are different, they have both changed and the Doctor has been through a lot since Visigher was destroyed. Sequel to Saving the Doctor.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N hey guys, so this is the sequel to Saving the Doctor, if you haven't read that story then I suggest you go and read it before you read this. Also I have posted a one shot of the time between the two stories called Nineteen hours and Thirty-five minutes, you don't have to read that as I will write some of the important stuff from that into this story.**

**Anyways hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing other than Ari.**

Ari stood with her hands lightly clasped before her as the Director of Torchwood, Pete Tyler, spoke to her in a very disapproving voice.

Twenty hours ago she had been sat at her desk reading through a report hoping to finalise a treaty between the humans and a race known as the Smiubos, but nineteen hours and forty seven minutes ago she had left her desk as alarms went off throughout the building and she like everyone else had headed to hanger eight where her life changed yet again

For over fours years she had been living on earth, she had made something of a life for herself, she had a job, an apartment, friends in the form of Rose and John and though she seemed settled with her knew life she knew that when that blue box showed up once again that she would leave this half life in a second.

But she hadn't.

For the past nineteen hours and thirty-five minutes she had been within that blue box, with a man she had thought she would never see again, a man she had loved for over a hundred years and she had forced herself to leave just so that she could get back to the work she had been working on twenty hours ago.

There was however a problem. Pete Tyler was not impressed with how one of his most trusted employees had just upped and left in the middle of important work, but the worse part was that the report she had been working through, the one that detailed everything the humans and Smiubos had been working on had gone missing.

"The Smiubos treaty is very fragile. If that report ends up in the wrong hands…" She muttered to herself as she looked down at her desk once again, something she had done countless of times since she had searched for it before Pete had arrived in her office.

"Then we can have a war on our hands." Her boss said his face becoming emotionless as he looked at her and she almost took a step back as a wave of anger and disappointment hit her. "Find it and make sure that nothing has gone wrong."

"Yes sir." She said nodding her head at the same time.

Once he left the room she fell back on her chair and put her head in her hands. How could she be so stupid? She knew how important that report was, she knew that only she, John and Pete had full access to everything that was going on with the Smiubos, and she knew that if anyone got their hands on that report there would be hell to pay.

"So this is your office?" A voice said interrupting her thinking. Looking up she couldn't help but smile as she watched the man she had missed so much in the last four years walk into her office his eyes taking in everything. He was wearing a sharply cut black suit with a white shirt, his tie was also black but it held a pattern that she could only see when the light hit it just right. Following him with her eyes she couldn't quite believe that he was here, her Doctor, her mad man with a box and he was standing in her office, a place she never pictured him in.

"Yep, at least it is for now." He looked at her then as her voice gave away how worried and frustrated she was.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, well I say nothing, but I seem to have lost a very important report and if I don't find it soon something really bad could happen."

"Right, when did you have it last?"

"Yesterday just before you arrived. I was reading through it right here, and then well you appeared and I got a little distracted."

He smiled at her as she spoke the last and she couldn't help but smile back. "I didn't mean to be so distracting."

"I'm sure, but you where and now something really bad could happen."

"How bad?"

"What do you know about the Smiubos?"

"Oh, horrible race, very volatile, but very clever. Why?"

"I've been working on an alliance between them and the humans." She saw his eyes widen causing her to sigh and lean back in her chair. "I knew I should have cut of the communication the first time I got the report."

"Yes you should have! Ari those creatures can not be trusted, big bugs with brains." He shuddered slightly. "Why didn't John tell you not to?"

"His universe doesn't have them, he had never heard of them before and he couldn't even find a species that remotely resembled them."

"Okay, what did the report consist of?"

"Everything, every line of communication, every piece of information we have been able to gather about the Smiubos themselves, every offer made that has been declined between both races as well as new terms that have only just been written up." She paused a moment before looking away from the Doctor as she couldn't look at him as she told him the next part. "It also holds a file on weapon technology that we where willing to share with the Smiubos if an alliance was made and in return they where going to share their shield engineering."

An uncomfortable silence fell on the room and in the end she had to look up at him. Slowly as she lifted her eyes to his she realized he had been waiting for her to do just that, because as soon as he caught her eyes with his he started to speak.

"The Smiubos are clever, brutal and savage yes, but so very clever. They can also be very patient. Like a spider waiting for a fly to be caught in its web." As he spoke he walked around her desk until he was stood to the side of her. Slowly he reached down and turned the chair she was in till it faced him. "They wait and they plan and when that fly lands in their web they pounce. Did you know they possess a hive mind?"

"Yes, I picked that up from them straight away."

"And did you know they also have a form of venom that can connect any living being to that hive mind."

She swallowed and shook her head her eyes wide.

"How many envoys have come to earth?"

"Only one."

"Well that I guess is a small mercy. The venom can only be made every few weeks, so once used it takes a while to build it up again. How long did they stay?"

"He's still here. He arrived about four weeks ago."

"Okay then, and in that time how many people have had access to him."

"A lot."

"You need to get a full list of every single person that has been with him and then you need to find who he had infected and what they know. Because if they have that report and they have read it in full, then you are going to have an invasion on your hands."

.*.*.*.

A few hours late The Doctor was sat watching Ari as she typed away on her keyboard her eyes following what she was writing. He found himself watching her a lot in the last twenty-odd hours, his eyes still not believing that she was really there, different, but alive. Smiling to himself as he messed about with his sonic screwdriver, he thought on the last day of his life and found himself more happy than he had ever been. Even before the war, and long before he had even stolen the TARDIS, he had never been this happy. Sure his children brought him happiness and he would always love each of them. But when it came to Ari he couldn't help but smile at the thought of her or shiver at the thought of what she did to him. He was totally in love with her, and just like her he hadn't realized how much until the day he thought she had died.

Pushing himself up from the small sofa she had in her office he walked over to the desk pulled her chair back from her desk before pulling her up into his arms and kissing her. She resisted at first, her mind obviously not catching up with her bodies reactions fast enough, because even as she tried to talk her arms wrapped themselves around his neck her hand finding its way into his hair and then her lips stopped trying to talk and she started to kiss him back.

Smiling against her lips he pulled her whole body against his causing a moan to escape her lips and he knew that if he didn't stop now he would take her on her desk. Damn the Smiubos and the humans, let them fight. But he knew she had to fix what had gone wrong so rather than taking the kiss to the next level he pulled back and just watched her face as she opened her eyes and stared at him while she caught her breath.

"You should get back to work." He said pointing at her computer before returning to the sofa. Falling onto it he crossed his legs and started to fiddle about with his sonic again.

"But…umm…yes…what was that for?"

He glanced up at her then shrugged. "Felt like it." The reaction those words got was brilliant, her eyes widened even more and a smile that lit up her face completely, formed on her lips.

"Well…then feel free to kiss me when ever you feel like it again."

"Oh don't worry, I plan on doing just that." He responded with a grin of his own.

She was still staring at him as she straightened her clothes her blue eyes almost alight with the golden light that seemed to ignite every time he touched her. When she sat back down he was tempted to go over again just to mess with her a little, but before he could move her computer beeped at her and all her attention returned to the screen.

"I have the list." She said, frowning as she read it.

Standing he went to join her, looking at the screen from over her shoulder. Upon the screen was a list of names, times, and the day each individual saw the Smiubos represented.

"Is there anyone that seemed to go a lot."

"Not really." As she scrolled through the names she sighed.

"How many of those people have access to your office?"

"Most of them, they all have high level access clearance. Even the cleaners could get in here."

"And there is no one that you can think off that has changed in the last four weeks."

"No, everyone seems normal."

He stood up straight flicking his hair out of his eyes before tapping his sonic to his chin.

"How advanced is your ability now?"

She turned to look up at him with a frown. "Why?"

"You said you recognised that the Smiubos had a hive mind."

"Yes."

"How? A single Smiubos would not connect to the hive while on another planet, the distance is too great."

"Umm well that can not be true because when I first met the representative I could sense it. Also how would they get the information back to the others…oh."

"Yes oh, they may have a hive mind but they also have advanced technology, they would just have to phone home. But also, because you could sense it, it means that who ever he had infected had already joined with him."

"I was one of the first, before me were only a few others."

"Who?"

"Pete the Director, John, Rose, Malice and then myself."

"So it could be any of them."

"It couldn't be Pete, he was so angry when he found out I had lost the report. John and Rose would have noticed a difference in the other; they are far too close not to notice."

"So that leaves Malice, who is?"

"The head of security."

"One of the only other people that has totally access to everything."

Ari pushed back her chair and ran out the door. A second later she popped her head back around. "You coming?"

He smiled as she held out her hand to him.

.*.*.*.

Ari sat biting her lip as she waited along with the Doctor and Pete for Malice to arrive. As soon as they had narrowed it down to who could have been infected Ari thought back trying to work out if she had noticed any difference in Malice since he had met the representative from Smiubos. He had never show any outward sigh of changing but now that she thought about it his surface thoughts had become more shielded, why she hadn't noticed that she didn't know.

As the head of security entered the room he paused upon seeing the Director wasn't alone, but quickly covered up any shock he had by closing the door and just walking up to Pete's desk.

"You wished to talk sir?"

"Yes, it would seem we have a very serious security issue on our hands. You know about the alliance we are trying to make with the Smiubos?"

"Of course sir."

"Well all the paper work and online files have gone missing."

As Pete talked to Malice Ari slowly skimmed over his mind, at first she got nothing, not even thoughts about what he was saying or about what Pete was talking about so she started to push harder.

Breaking through the first layer she started to get his surface thoughts but she wasn't totally interested in that, she wanted his memories. However when Pete spoke about the Smiubos possible infecting someone Malice's thoughts became erratic and suddenly another voice joined in with the mans own thoughts and then Malice repeated everything that was first said within his mind.

Pulling back she looked at the Doctor. _*It is him, I can hear the Smiubos in his mind.*_

_*Could you block him.*_

_*Maybe, but then wouldn't that just alert the Smiubos?*_

"Pete." The Doctor said his green eyes alight with mischief which made Ari shake her head slightly. "Have the extra guards arrived yet?"

Ari frowned at this. No more guards had been sent to the Smiubos out of fear of alerting the alien creature. But as Malice's thoughts changed once again Ari understood what the Doctor was doing.

"No…" Pete said his face confused.

"Well then I suggest you get them there fast." The Doctor recommended with a smile.

As Pete pressed a button on his phone to order more guards to the Smiubos's rooms Ari turned all her attention to Malice. As she delved back into his mind she became unsettled with how little surface thought there really was. It was like the man she had known was gone, and because the Smiubos had taken its attention away from its puppet all that was left was a shell with little thought of its own.

Searching though his mind Ari soon came across the memories she had been searching for before, but they where hazy and lacking in detail, but that didn't really matter, she knew Malice was the one to be poisoned and she know knew that because of that the security guard was technically no longer alive, so distorted was his mind that the person she had known was gone.

After a few minutes she found a sort of path way that led into his mind but it was only one way meaning that she wouldn't be able to follow it to the Smiubos, but she could sever the connection. However the only problem with that was that she was unsure weather the alien had the weapon details that had been in the report and as she searched Malice's memories again she found nothing to indicate whether the man had been in her office or not.

"I don't know if his memories have been whipped but I can find nothing about the report. But the Smiubos did become uncomfortable when it was mentioned." She said as pulled her mind back slightly to talk to Pete. "I found the connection though."

"Can you follow it? Get into the Smiubos's mind."

She went to say she couldn't when the Doctor spoke up first. "No, that is too dangerous. Their minds are nothing like a humans, it would catch you and keep you there if you even attempted to enter its mind."

"It doesn't matter anyway, the connection is only one way."

"Can you break it?" Pete asked.

"Yeah." She said nodding but as she looked at the Director her voice became sad. "But I think in doing that Malice would become brain dead."

"We have no other choice Ari."

Ari sighed and lowered her head as she bit her lower lip, she was about to go back into the mans mind when the Doctor closed the gap between him and the security guard and placed his hands on the mans temples.

"What are you doing?" She asked looking up at the Doctor.

"I'll do it." He said his eyes closing as he entered the other mans mind, less than a second later the large man crumpled to the floor and the Doctor just stood there looking down at him his face sad.

"I would have done it." She said as Pete called in medics to deal with Malice.

The Doctor looked at her then and shook his head. "No, you have been through enough already."

She frowned at that not fully understanding what he was getting at and as she went

to ask what he meant he just stared at her and her mouth closed as she swallowed back the question. She understood what he meant and she knew that soon they would be having a very lengthy conversation about it.

"Right well the security team have the Smiubos envoy and are taking him to integration room three."

"Right well make sure you keep an eye on that thing, it could cut down half the people in the building before you could even begin to stop it."

"That's why it's been taken to three." Ari said quietly.

"What do you mean?" The Doctor asked frowning slightly.

"Three is designed to hold high threatening hostiles."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that if it shows any threatening behaviour it will know that we wont stand for it." This came from Pete and the Doctor turned to him.

"Send it home, don't keep it here, just send it home and let that be that."

"But we don't know if it knows about the weapon tech yet." Pete said his eyes narrowing slightly. "He wont be going anywhere till we know everything."

"That creature in there needs to be sent home, because if the hive hears nothing from it in the next few hours or days then you will have an invasion on your hand." The Doctor had closed the gap between him and Pete and all Ari could do was watch as the Director got the full force of the Doctors anger. "A hoard of Smiubos would decimate this planet is hours and none of you would stand a chance, do you really want that?"

"If they could do that, why would they want our weapon technology?"

"To make it easier, to adapt their shield engineering so that their losses where minimal."

"Then I can not let it go until I know if it has that information."

Ari stood then and got between the two men her eyes going from one to the other until they both looked at her.

"Let me talk to it?"

"Ari no, it's too dangerous." This came from the Doctor.

"I was going to ask you to." This came from Pete and again they both looked up at each other and glared.

"Men." She said sighing before turning on heel and walking out of the room. As she made her way to Three she could hear the Doctor running to catch up with her and once he did he grabbed her arm turning her to face him.

"Ari don't." He said anger still clear in his eyes.

"I have to; I'm probably the only one on this planet that could get through to it."

"But you don't have to."

"No I don't." She said almost laughing. "But if I have learnt anything from you it's we always do things we don't have to do."

He stared at her for the longest time before he let go of her arm. "Fine but I'm coming in with you."

"Of course you are." She muttered before walking back towards Three.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Sorry for the long wait I got a little writers block, but thanks to the recent influx of emails I got today from reviews, followers and favourites I got inspired to write.**

**So as much as I didn't want to be this person it seems that reviews really do help keep me inspired. So please leave your thoughts as I would love to hear them and enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing other than Ari.**

Ari stood just inside room Three her eyes taking in the room before her.

She had heard a lot about this room but she had never before seen it for herself.

It was a massive room, about half the size of the hangers but still impressive for an integration room. Along each wall guards stood with live guns and each and every one of them wore armour so thick it would take several armour piercing bullets to break through.

The room itself was bright, light by flood lights from above, and though the room had little furniture it didn't feel empty, and as she thought about it, it was probably because she knew what hid behind the lights above and below the floor she was stood on. She knew that if the threat within the room became enough this whole room would react in such a way that even a Dalek might have some difficulty to overcome it.

As she heard the Doctor walk into the room she finally let her eyes go to the Smiubos that was crouched down behind the only table and chairs within the room. His name was L'ixe an ambassador that had apparently brokered treaties and alliances between his race and other races through out the galaxy. But now she highly suspected him of being nothing more than a spy sent to other worlds to learn of their weakness so that his race could consume the planet and use as they saw fit.

"Ari what ever you do, please just be careful." Smiling slightly she turned to the Doctor and nodded.

Turning back to L'ixe she took a deep breath and slowly let it out as she walked towards the table and chairs. As she got closer the alien creature shifted and then with a fluid grace she had never seen in any other creature he unfolded himself and stood upright his movements followed by every single gun within the room.

Stopping behind the chair Ari looked up at the Smiubos as reached its full height and looked down at her. In all he was around eight feet tall, its body, was cut into four sections, three where small and each section held two arm like limbs. His insect like head was smaller still than the top sections and his black eyes where huge and she could see herself reflected within them. The fourth section was much larger than the other three and this held six leg like limbs which she knew could carry this creature with grace but also out run any human on the planet.

He was mostly black in colour but had grey to silver markings all over its armoured back; something that apparently showed his rank amongst his race.

As she took him in her eyes couldn't help but notice how its arms now had razor sharp edging to them, a natural weapon he had obviously been hiding until now.

"What is the meaning of this?" L'ixe asked in a series of clicks that she now had come to understand perfectly in the last few weeks.

"I could ask the same question of you Senator L'ixe." She respond in English, knowing that the TARDIS would now translate her words for her.

L'ixe lowered his upper body until he was leant right over the desk that was between them his eyes now just above her head. "You're human hospitality has lost all its appeal." He intoned his eyes shifting to look around the room till they landed back on her. "Why have I been brought here?"

"I thought the reason to your current imprisonment would be obvious."

"No."

"No?" Ari repeated. "Please let's not play games L'ixe, we know you poisoned Malice and we know you have been using him to get the information you needed about this world's weapon technology."

Slowly L'ixe pulled back but his eyes never left her face."

"I am sure that I have no idea what you are on about human."

Ari smiled though it was a sad smile. "I'm not human."

"You look like one."

"Yes, but I am not one of them. I am a Visighen."

"But Visigher burnt." The Smiubos said in slightly shock.

"Yes, it did." The smile melting away from her face.

"Shame." L'ixe intoned with an almost cheery note to his clicks.

"I was there." She whispered, her blue eyes looking away. "I saw it burn."

"Then you where very lucky to survive."

"Yes, it is my punishment."

"Punishment? For what?"

Slowly Ari walked around the table ignoring the Doctors protests as well as the sound of every single gun within the room arming. Once she was stood directly in front of L'ixe she crossed her arms and sighed dramatically.

"It's my punishment for burning the Visigher."

L'ixe started to laugh in clicks. "You…you burnt Visigher? Impossible!"

Lifting her head up Ari slowly opened her eyes and she knew that the golden glow that sometimes lit her eyes was there in full force, not only because she could see her reflection in his eyes but also because she could feel it burning within her. L'ixe held her gaze for only a moment before he shifted his whole head to look away from her.

"What are you?"

"I told you that already."

"But your people do not have the same level of telepathy you do."

Ari smiled. "Yes they did, but I am far stronger than anyone ever was on Visigher, or even here on earth."

"So that is why they sent you?"

"Maybe. But the true reason to why I am here is because of what you have done. Malice is now brain dead due to the poison you used on him."

L'ixe didn't respond.

"What did Malice find our before I severed the connection between the two of you?"

Again he didn't respond.

Ari sighed and uncrossed her arms. "Look, we don't want a war. Humans do not wish the Smiubos any harm, all they ever wanted is peace between them and the Smiubos, a treaty to benefit both races."

"The only thing humans can do for the Smiubos is die!" In less than a second L'ixe moved, his razor sharp arms moving faster than she could even anticipate. But luckily for her, her mind was faster.

As the alien's limbs descended upon her she froze the room.

However as she relaxed slightly L'ixe started to move again and her eyes went wide.

"Ari move!" She heard the Doctor shout as the creature limbs came at her once again, though somewhat slower than beore. Ducking to the left she let her body's momentum move her as she rolled away. When she came to a stop she felt hands grab her and she let the Doctor help her to her feet.

"Unfreeze the room." He ordered as he pulled her away from harm

"But they will kill him!"

"Ari he wont listen to reason!" He said looking over her shoulder. Following his gaze she watched as L'ixe moved in slow motion as he fought against her.

"But if they kill him they will come and there will be war."

"Yes, but there is no other way."

"But there is always a way!" She said frowning. "You more than anyone know that." Still frowning she just held his eyes as she wondered about what could have happened to him. He would never give up, not like this.

"What happened to you?" She asked giving a voice to her thoughts, and as he looked at her she wanted so desperately to pull away from him as his eyes almost turned black and the wave of anger that hit her was unlike anything she had felt from him before.

"Ari." He whispered as he rained in his anger. "Please, just unfreeze them."

"No." She whispered. She then turned to L'ixe and as soon as her eyes locked onto his she entered his mind.

.*.*.*.

"Ari no!" The Doctor shouted, but it was too late. Ari crumbled to the ground along with the Smiubos. Going to her he made sure she hadn't done herself any damage as she fell and then quickly scanned her. As soon as the light from the sonic hit her head the device vibrated in his hand, something it hadn't done before, and he frowned. Flicking his wrist so the sonic opened up he read the results. Her brain activity was off the charts and as he went to scan her again her whole body started to convulse and a scream unlike any he had heard from her before escaped her lips.

"Ari." He said in a plea as her body shook violently. He didn't want to touch her but as her movements became more erratic he was afraid of her damaging herself further so he tried to hold her still but that just caused her to move more and another scream echoed though the room.

Letting her go he stood and looked over at the Smiubos his green eyes narrowing as he noticed that the creature was watching him.

"Let her go." He demanded.

"Why should I?" The creature clicked as it got itself into a more comfortable position.

"Do you know who I am?" The Doctor asked.

"Another pitiful human."

"Oh no, not I." The Doctor said as he pocketed his sonic and another scream from Ari filled the room. "I'm the Doctor."

Seeing his name affecting L'ixe he smiled.

"You escaped!" L'ixe clicked and backed away as the Doctor moved forward.

"Yes. No let her go before I make you."

L'ixe held his eyes for only a moment and he was sure that the creature was about to let Ari go when she screamed again causing the Doctor to turn to her. Quickly he went back to her as she opened her eyes and the convulsions that had been wracking her body stopped. Kneeling next to her he looked down into her wide open eyes and gently brushed back her hair from her face.

"I have his memories." She whispered. "Malice got it all, he told him everything."

"Ari break away from him."

"Not yet, I need to change them."

"Don't." He whispered and for the first time her eyes locked onto his.

"But I have to." She said simply before her eyes closed again and just like that the room came back to life and every single guard converged on L'ixe.

"What happened?" One of the guards asked his gun trained on the Smiubos though he looked at the Doctor.

"Get a medic!" The Doctor ordered looking up at the guard before gently lifting Ari up onto his lap.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N so my last chapter was rather short compared to this and my first chapter. But I'm hoping to do similar size chapter to this one from now on, but that I guess depends on my writing muse ;)**

**Anyways hope you enjoy. Any and all reviews are welcome, after all they do seem to inspire my writing :D**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing other than Ari.**

The moment Ari entered L'ixe's mind she knew it was going to hurt. She came to the realization that this mind though seemingly harmless on the surface was, like the Doctor had told her; unlike any mind she had entered before, even the Doctors mind was a walk in the park compared to this.

It was like she was trapped within an infinite maze, one that twisted and turned sending her whole world upside down with every step she took. She became instantly lost and then darkness surrounded her cutting off her sight and leaving all her other senses heightened.

"Welcome to my world!" L'ixe's voice clicked to her and then a buzzing started quickly followed by a sting to her left arm. Jerking away she put her hand to her arm and instantly felt it swelling.

"L'ixe it doesn't have to be like this." She shouted into the darkness but the only reply was another buzzing and another shark pain this time in her right leg which instantly gave way beneath her. "L'ixe if you would just listen!"

But again nothing, but this time when the buzzing came it consisted of many wings and as it grew louder she started to panic, but there was nothing she could do. She was trapped in a world of darkness that held a maze that went on forever, she couldn't run, she couldn't hide. He had her totally at his mercy and she knew she wouldn't get any.

When the buzzing instincts finally attached she had no choice but to scream as she was stung over and over again her body becoming numb and over sensitive at the same time, but the worse was still to come as the poison from the stings reached her nerve system and she went in to spasms that raged through her whole body.

She soon became lost within her own pain, pain she knew that was only within her mind, but that didn't matter, after all pain only exists within the mind.

When she felt hands upon her trying to hold her down she started to scream again fighting against who ever held her, not knowing that the Doctor was trying to help her. When the hands left she felt the spasms calm slightly and the pain dwindle. Slowly she started to take back control, started to shut down the part of her mind that felt the pain, recognised threat and held her to the spot until she sat up.

The world around her suddenly lit up and the maze she had found herself in before started to melt away leaving a field of nothing but white sand. Standing she brushed herself off and then started to walk.

"What have you done?" L'ixe voice asked, coming from all around her.

"Broken your defence." She said with a small smile. "Welcome to my world."

The white sand suddenly started to move, as though it was falling through an hour glass, but she stayed upright, walking in a straight line until all the sand was gone and she was left in a small room.

The walls looked almost organic in nature, as though they had been grown. Before her on the longest wall in the room where what looked like holo projectors and there she watched herself, or at least a memory of herself from when she had been talking to L'ixe when he had first met her.

"You can not be here!" L'ixe demanded.

"Show me Malice." She ordered and the images before her changed showing her every memory L'ixe had of Malice. As she watched she shook her head and sighed.

"You could have made this so much easier on yourself L'ixe. You could have listened and we could have negotiated. But now I'm left with no choice."

"What are you going to do?" He asked and even though his speech was in click she could tell he was afraid.

"Change your memory."

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Your friend." Before her an image of the Doctor appeared.

"Yes, what about him?"

"Do you know who he is?"

"Of course I do."

"Really?" Again the images changed but they moved so fast came so quickly that she struggled to make sense of them. In the end she had to turn away her eyes closing.

"What was that?" She asked looking back to the now blank wall.

"He is dangerous." L'ixe clicked slowly.

Ari slowly turned till she faced L'ixe who was stood right behind her. "Lies."

"Your in my mind Visighen, you know it can not be a lie."

"Then what you think to be true is a lie."

"Maybe. Think what you will but it is what we know."

Ari didn't hang around after that, she changed his memories, took away all the information Malice had given him and gave him new memories, memories that would make him think the human race unimportant and of little concern. When she was done she broke free of his mind but rather than wake, she found herself locked in her own mind, something she knew would happen when she blocked off the areas that felt pain and fear. She knew she would have to deal with that before she woke, because if she woke now she would be lost to it all once again.

.*.*.*.

Gently the Doctor led Ari onto her bed brushing back her hair from her face before tucking the covers around her and sitting on the edge his hand taking hers.

Torchwood had insisted on keeping her in their med bay for the last three days, monitoring her physically as well as mentally. Her brain activity was still off the scale but her body was inactive and though the Doctor had told them over and over that she was fine, that her mind was simply repairing itself they choose to ignore him and keep her under observation.

That was until he demanded they let her rest somewhere she was familiar with, somewhere more comfortable. He had hoped they would let her stay in the TARDIS but instead they took her to her apartment, a place they could still access and look after her.

As he sat gently running his fingers over the back of her hand he paid little attention to the medical team setting up monitoring equipment all around the room, he even paid them little attention as they hooked her up to said equipment knowing that as soon as they left he would take everything out. She didn't need all this, all she needed was rest, time to allow her mind to heal and slowly wake up.

"We will be back in a few hours. If she shows any signs of distress…"

"I'm here, you don't have to come back." He muttered knowing his words would fall on deaf ears.

"…This is the number to call." The male nurse said handing him a card which he took only to place on the bedside locker.

The nurse waited a moment seeming to think that the Doctor would say something more but when he remained silent the nurse turned and left shaking his head slightly as he did so.

As soon as he heard the apartment empty he took out his sonic and deadlocked the whole place as well as shutting off all the equipment. He then took off all the monitoring pads they had place on her head and chest before taking out every piece of equipment and hiding it in another smaller bedroom which also held his TARDIS, which he had expertly parked in the small space between the bed and wardrobe.

He was tempted to take her to her room aboard the ship but as he walked back into her room he smiled noticing that she had for the first time moved and was now curled up on her side her breathing even and relaxed.

Taking his jacket off he loosened his tie slightly and undid the top button before making himself comfortable on the bed next to her. He watched her sleep for the longest time before he finally forced his eyes away from her face and took in the room he was in. It was pleasant room, decorated in soft pale shades of blue and silver, colours which would normally make a room feel cold but she had done it in such a way that instead it was relaxing and warm. It was handsomely furnished but as he really took in what was around him he noticed the lack of bits and bobs, things humans collected and kept, treasured objects, keepsakes that reminded them of past events.

Frowning slightly he stood and made his way to living area, an open planned living room, kitchen and diner greeted him, all lit but the floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the skyline of London. It was like her bedroom well decorated, and again handsomely furnished but it too lacked a homely feel to it, as though she never expected to stay here.

Walking around he looked in draws and cupboards and finally came across a book simple labelled photos hiding in a draw next to the sofa. Taking it out he fell back onto the soft sofa and opened it up. On the first page was a single photo of Ari, John and Rose all stood outside of the TARDIS that belonged to John. John and Rose where smiling brightly at the camera and though Ari was smiling there was no joy on her face. She looked lost and sad and her normally bright blue eyes where dull and sunken as though she hadn't slept for a very long time.

Sighing sadly he gently ran a finger over the image of the girl he had come to love before turning to the next page. As he flicked through the photos he took note of how many consisted of just the three of them, some included more people, but mostly it was just them three, or just Ari and Rose.

One picture got his hearts beating a little faster, it was one of Ari and John and what was possibly the end of a food fight involving a cream cake. John had cream and jam smeared all over his face and he was in the middle of returning the favour and smearing cream all over Ari's cheek. As he looked at her he noticed the smile on her face, unlike most of the other pictures it was genuine, it was in no way forced and he knew that whoever took the picture had caught Ari in probably one of the few moments of true happiness she had probably had while living on Earth. But it was also her eyes, he could see the golden light that lit them sometimes and he felt an emotion he had never really felt before, he was jealous, jealous that someone other than him could make her do that.

"You should have seen Rose after she took that picture."

Jumping the Doctor stood letting the book fall to the floor before he spun and took in Ari.

"You're awake!" He said jumping over the sofa his hands going to her face as he looked into her eyes. She looked tired, but she smiled at him as he gently ran his fingers over her face. "You need to get back to bed."

"No…I don't want to sleep." She whispered before shuddering slightly.

"What? What is it?" He asked worry clearly in his voice.

"Its nothing, just I don't want to sleep."

"Okay, well come and sit down then." Slowly he led her around the sofa before sitting down and pulling her onto his lap. She easily curled up on him her head resting against his shoulder as he wrapped his arms protectively around her.

"How are you feeling?" He asked placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Confused."

He frowned at that. "Why?"

"My brain is a little messed up."

"In what way?" He asked now very concerned.

Slowly she pulled back from him and looked up into his green eyes. "Are you real?"

"Of course I am." He whispered his hand going to her face.

"But you're in my apartment."

"Yes, yes I am and it is a very lovely apartment. A bit small for my tastes but lovely all the same." He gave her a smile but she didn't return it. "Ari what is it?"

"You're really here, in my apartment, on my sofa, and I am sitting on your lap."

He laughed slightly as he spoke. "Yes."

She moved then, faster than he anticipated and didn't settle until she was straddling his lap. Frowning at her as she placed her hands on his shoulders he did the only thing he could with his hands and placed them on her waists surprised when they touched nothing but skin. Looking down he noticed the dressing gown she had been wearing and loosened and under it all she had on was a pair of sleep shorts and a strappy top that had ridden up slightly. The outfit reminded him slightly of what she had been wearing the first time he had ever seen her, all black hair and pale skin, and she still looked just as appealing then as she did now.

"So this isn't a dream?" She asked, her voice making him look back up at her.

"I hope not." He whispered as her blue eyes lit up and then she was kissing him. She kissed him with a passion that soon ignite a fire within him that, until a few days ago, had been dead. Wrapping his arms fully around her pulling her harder against him he returned her kiss and would have kept on kissing her but her need for air forced them apart.

Looking up at her he disentangled one arm keeping the other firmly wrapped around her so that he could brush back the golden hair that had fallen around her face. When he could see her well enough she was looking at him with such raw emotion he gasped and his heart beat a faster beat inside his chest.

This girl, no this woman, this remarkable, self sacrificing amazingly wonderful woman was looking at him in such away that it left no doubt in his mind that she loved him. All thought about the picture that he had become jealous of fled his mind and he could do nothing more than pull her head down to his so that he could kiss her again wanting her to feel what she meant to him, wanting her to know that he loved her just as much as she loved him.

Thing would have progressed he was sure but just as he was about to move her onto her back her stomach gave an almighty growl and she started to giggle her hands going to her stomach.

"How long have I been out?" She asked looking from her stomach to his face.

"Three days." He told her bluntly and the smile she had been wearing disappeared.

"Oh." Was her only response.

"Yes, oh." He sighed then picked her up as he stood. She tried to put her feet down but he didn't allow it, only letting her go once he had deposited her on the kitchen counter top. "Right so what does the lady wish to eat?"

"Coffee." She instantly answered and he made a face.

"You still drink that evil stuff."

"Yep, this body even prefers it strong, though with quite a lot of sugar. Though don't tell John that I drink it."

He had turned away from her and was filling the kettle when she said the last.

"Why not?" He asked turning back to her once he had put the kettle to boil.

"I became a little addicted to it when I first got here. He made me go cold turkey for a while, drove me mad."

"How bad?" He asked folding his arms.

"Well the first week I worked for Touchwood I think I only slept maybe six hours."

"A night?"

She shook her head. "No, the whole week."

"Ari." He said disapprovingly as he closed the gap between them.

"I couldn't sleep. Every time I slept I had nightmares, I saw Visigher burn more times than I care to think about, but worse of all I kept on seeing…" She paused and looked away her eyes closing as she shuddered.

"What?" He asked taking hands that had started to shake. "What did you see?"

"You, the cell, golden chains and a procession of woman killing you over and over again."

"Ari I am so sorry." He whispered putting his forehead against hers.

"No, don't you dare, don't you ever say sorry for what was done to you. None of it was your fault and I have never ever blamed you." She was shaking so hard now that he instinctively wrapped his arms around her and just held her until she had calmed down enough to speak once again.

"After that first week I thought I heard you." She suddenly said and pulled back from him. "You called my name, and it was so loud inside my mind that it woke me up. I thought that maybe you had some how found me, that you had followed me back to earth, but when I looked for you, you where not here."

"When was this?"

"Just over two years after Visigher. I kind of borrowed Johns TARDIS for a week, but in that week I was gone for two years. I searched for you but found nothing, so I returned here and well that was when I thought I had heard you." She shook her head and looked down. "Silly I know, but since then John hates it when I drink coffee."

The Doctor stood in silence as she spoke his mind racing. In the years following what he thought was her death he had become…well lost. He had no aim in life, traveling had lost all its appeal and he had become a shadow of his former self and in those years he had refused to think or even say her name. But there was that one time, a time just before...He closed his eyes and shuddered. He couldn't go there, wouldn't allow himself to remember, but she needed to know that what she thought was a dream wasn't.

"It's not silly." He finally whispered and she looked back up at him.

"What do you mean?"

"You did hear me."

"What?" She asked clearly stunned.

"I never said your name, not to anyone. I never even thought it because to think it would make everything real. But there was this one time…" He shuddered again and shook his head. "I can not tell you it all, not yet. But I did say it, called it out, wished for you to hear it."

"I knew it." She whispered her grip on him increasing. "I should have followed it."

"No!" He said shaking his head. "You shouldn't have and I am very, very glad that you didn't."

She stared at him for the longest of moments before nodding. "Baby steps."

"Yeah." He kissed her forehead then, his eyes closing as he did so. He had so much to tell her, so much to confess to and for the first time since he had lost her he was afraid.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Hey guys no chapter sorry just a quick note to let you know I haven't stopped working on this, in fact I'm write more right now. However Ari and the Doctor have taken me down a road in this story that I wasnt expecting and I have been hand writing it because that to me is the purest form of writing. Anyways because it is being hand written I will probably not get much more up until I've finished it, then I will get it written up on the computer and then edited before posting a new chapter. I wrote Saving the Doctor like this I just happened to have most of it written down before I decided to put it on here and that turned out pretty well :)**

**So thank you for your continued support I will get this story up I promise but just bare with me :)**

**Thanks guys, much love Aliea Louise x**


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